Mark it down as a week to forget for the MAAC, which went a combined 5-16 since our last recap. A few programs picked up their first wins of the season while others suffered some losses where “disappointing” would be an understatement. With a great deal of action – including a few tournament appearances – left to summarize this week, let’s dive right in: Continue reading “MAAC Weekly Recap – Thanksgiving Eve”
Category: Canisius
MAAC Weekly Recap – Opening Week Ups and Downs
Less than a week into the season is the perfect time for overreactions, right? Continue reading “MAAC Weekly Recap – Opening Week Ups and Downs”
2017-18 MAAC Preseason Predictions
This evening the MAAC will announce its preseason all-league teams and rankings. In advance of that announcement, here is the official NYC Buckets prediction and analysis for team rankings and all-league squads. All selections are provided in alphabetical order: Continue reading “2017-18 MAAC Preseason Predictions”
34 Teams in 34 Days: Canisius
Canisius
Outlook: One of the league’s best offenses last season must take a step forward on the defensive end of the court in order to reach the next level. Continue reading “34 Teams in 34 Days: Canisius”
Realignment Conferences 23 Through 18
These conferences, in terms of average strength, are probably about where the current MAAC or Horizon League are down to the Patriot League. Continue reading “Realignment Conferences 23 Through 18”
About Last Night: March 14, 2017
Now that the postseason has kicked off it’s the return of “About Last Night.” I’ll take a quick look at how the teams in the area and conferences we cover fare in the postseason until they’re all eliminated. And we know at least a few will have some more games! Continue reading “About Last Night: March 14, 2017”
Canisius Hopeful For Postseason Opportunity
The final chapter in Reggie Witherspoon’s first year as head coach of the Canisius College Golden Griffins may not yet be written, but their run toward a MAAC title is. Continue reading “Canisius Hopeful For Postseason Opportunity”
Locked-In Valenti Leads Canisius Into Quarterfinal Clash With Saint Peter’s
In the opening round of last year’s MAAC tournament, then-junior Phil Valenti poured in a career-high 33 points as the Golden Griffins survived a triple-overtime marathon against local rival Niagara. This time around, it was again Valenti who keyed the Griffs’ opening-round victory, a 77-73 win over Marist. Continue reading “Locked-In Valenti Leads Canisius Into Quarterfinal Clash With Saint Peter’s”
MAAC Tournament Primer: Canisius
The Canisius Golden Griffins held control of a MAAC tournament first round bye up until the final day of the regular season, but a three-game slide capped by a 72-65 loss to Saint Peter’s on the final day of the regular season culminated in first-year head coach Reggie Witherspoon’s squad falling into Thursday’s slate of games. Continue reading “MAAC Tournament Primer: Canisius”
2016-17 All-MAAC Teams
The MAAC announced all-league teams Monday afternoon with few surprises. Monmouth, which on Sunday became the first MAAC team to win 18 league games, placed two players on the First Team, including likely Player of the Year Justin Robinson. Saint Peter’s, Siena, Canisius, and Rider all saw multiple players receive all-league honors, with Iona and Quinnipiac receiving additional recognition on the all-Rookie team.
To see how the final results compare to NYC Buckets’ preseason predictions, click here. Additionally, travel back to our midseason awards and see how the stretch run impacted those races.
*denotes a unanimous selection

First Team
Justin Robinson – Monmouth*
Jordan Washington – Iona*
Tyler Nelson – Fairfield
Micah Seaborn – Monmouth
Quadir Welton – Saint Peter’s
Robinson, the leader of the Hawks and the league’s top scorer at 19.7 ppg, earned his third First Team selection and is the odds-on favorite to become the fourth MAAC player to repeat as Player of the Year this Friday. He would be the first to capture the award in consecutive seasons since Manhattan’s Luis Flores in 2003 and 2004. Teammate Micah Seaborn (13.5 ppg) also benefited from the Hawks’ impressive year, as the sophomore made the jump from Third Team a year ago to the top five this season.
Iona’s Jordan Washington joined Robinson as a unanimous selection with good reason. The senior forward established himself as the MAAC’s premier post player, ranking fourth in the league at 17.7 ppg and fifth with 7.5 rebounds per contest. Tyler Nelson led the way in Fairfield’s late push to capture a first-round bye, and was properly rewarded with a First Team spot. The junior ranks second in the league in scoring at 18.9 ppg and will enter next season as a favorite for Player of the Year honors. Quadir Welton rounds out the top five, and was the driving force behind Saint Peters’ run for the second spot in the league. The senior forward checks in at 11.8 ppg and 8.0 rpg, and helped the Peacocks become the league’s top defensive squad.

Second Team
Kassius Robertson – Canisius
Khallid Hart – Marist
Trevis Wyche – Saint Peter’s
Brett Bisping – Siena
Marquis Wright – Siena
Saint Peter’s sees its second honoree in the form of point guard Trevis Wyche. The senior averaged 11.2 ppg and 3.8 assists per game while leading a surprisingly potent Peacocks offense which ranks fourth in Offensive Efficiency in league play according to KenPom.com. Marist senior Khallid Hart makes a repeat appearance on the Second Team after ranking third in the league with 18.0 ppg despite the Red Foxes’ disappointing season.
Kassius Robertson, who led the Golden Griffins and placed seventh in the league with 16.5 ppg, earned his first all-MAAC honor as a junior while Siena seniors Brett Bisping and Marquis Wright represent the Saints’ two all-league selections. Bisping nearly averaged a double-double with 12.2 ppg and 9.6 rpg while Wright solidified his role as Siena’s facilitator by averaging 4.9 apg and matched Robertson at 16.5 ppg.

Third Team
Jermaine Crumpton – Canisius
Zane Waterman – Manhattan
Matt Scott – Niagara
Jimmie Taylor – Rider
Kahlil Thomas – Rider
Canisius’ second representative shows up on the Third Team in the form of Jermaine Crumpton. The junior helped lead the Golden Griffins’ early surge, and finished just behind teammate Robertson with 16.2 ppg but added an additional 4.9 rebounds per contest. Manhattan’s Zane Waterman became another to make his first appearance on an all-MAAC squad. With season averages of 14.5 ppg and 7.1 rpg along with three 20+ point performances to end the year, the honor is well-deserved despite the Jaspers’ last-place finish.
Niagara’s Matt Scott makes a return appearance on the Third Team after filling the stat sheet with 17.3 ppg (fifth in the league), 7.0 rpg, and 3.0 apg. For the second year in a row, Rider placed a pair on the final all-MAAC squad. Kahlil Thomas also repeats as a Third Team selection by nearly averaging a double-double with 14.1 ppg and 8.9 rpg, while Jimmie Taylor’s 15.7 ppg leads the Broncs, who closed the season on a three-game winning streak powered by an impressive offensive surge.

All-Rookie Team
E.J. Crawford – Iona*
Mikey Dixon – Quinnipiac*
Peter Kiss – Quinnipiac*
Stevie Jordan – Rider*
Malik Johnson – Canisius
Quinnipiac’s duo of Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss captured ten Rookie of the Week honors including the final eight of the year. Dixon (16.8 ppg) ranks sixth in the league in scoring and is on pace to break the all-divisions school scoring record of 16.7 set by Frank Berretta in 1979-80 at the Division II level, while Kiss (13.3 ppg) is on pace to break Rob Monroe’s Division I record of 13.0. Kentucky, St. John’s, and UCLA are the only schools in the nation to receive a higher combined scoring average from their top two freshmen.
Iona’s E.J. Crawford established himself as a valuable player on the wing of Iona’s high-powered offense and finished the season with 9.7 ppg while shooting 45% from behind the arc. The final two honorees displayed a penchant for sharing the ball: Stevie Jordan (11.5 ppg) leads the MAAC with 5.8 apg and became a critical piece of Kevin Baggett’s starting lineup amidst four seniors. Malik Johnson, recruited by former Canisius coach Jim Baron before his retirement, ranks fifth in the league with 4.2 assists per contest.
Vincent Simone covers the MAAC, Hofstra, and more for NYC Buckets. You can follow him on Twitter @VTSimone.









